morning routine

Winter weather can be so tough on our skin. Now that I'm in my mid-30s, I spend a lot more time trying out beauty products to keep my skin looking it's best. I know a lot of women don't have time to try out a lot of different products, so I'm sharing my current favorite morning beauty essentials to save you some time. Here are the five steps of my morning beauty routine, along with some of my current favorite products, so I can start my day looking my best. 1. Moisturize with Serum + SPF Lotion Immediately when I get out of the shower I apply an anti-aging serum, (I'm currently loving this serum). I choose a serum that can be used day and night, helps with anti-aging and the one I use also fights my sun spots. Once the serum is dry, I apply a face lotion with SPF 30. Using SPF is so important to keep my skin young and healthy. I never leave the house without at least SPF 30 on my face. 2. Conceal Redness and Dark Spots Once I apply my moisturizer, I'm ready to cover up the imperfections on my face. For me, my biggest trouble area is thinning skin and darkness under my eyes. I use this under eye concealer. I find it covers up the darkness and keeps my skin very moisturized under my eyes. Then, I use this concealer for the redness around my nose and to cover the sunspots on my cheeks. I prefer concealer to foundation because I think my skin looks more natural and fresh. Foundation can feel so heavy and mask-like. Just using concealer gives me an even palette while still looking totally natural. 3. Apply a Mineral Blush Once I finish applying concealer, I always add a pop of blush. I'm currently loving this mineral blush because it looks natural but adds a nice little shimmer and pink color to my cheeks. Even if you hate wearing makeup or think it's too time-consuming, I highly suggest you try adding blush, if nothing else. One of my friends hardly ever wears makeup. One day, I just added blush to her cheeks and it was amazing what a major transformation it had for her look. She already had great cheekbones, but adding just the smallest amount of blush made her look so much fresher and younger. 4. Draw Attention to Your Eyes I happen to love eye makeup because I just look so much more awake and alive when I add eye makeup. If eye makeup isn't your thing, you can definitely do less than I do. However, I think every girl should at least curl her eyelashes and add a layer or two of mascara. To start, I use this eyelash curler. It is by far the best I've ever used and my eyelashes go from stick straight to majorly curled. Once my lashes are curled, I add black eyeliner with a slight wing. This is my all-time favorite eyeliner. Next, I add eyeshadow to my lids and upper lids. On the outer corner of my eyes, I add a darker shadow to make my eyes. The darker shadow makes my eyes look wider and more open. If you're looking for eye shadow, you've got to get this palette. It's seriously worth the investment and you can create so many different looks with one palette. 5. Stay Fresh All Day Long To finish my morning beauty routine, I can't forget to add the most important thing. To ensure I stay feeling fresh all day, I use Dove Advanced Care Antiperspirant. This is my current favorite because it gives me 48 hours of odor and wetness protection. Plus, my underarms are smoother because Dove has NutriumMoisture for softer, smoother skin. I've been using Dove antipersprant for years. I love all the scents and how smooth my skin feels. With these five steps, I feel ready to start my day, confident and fresh. I hope you'll give my morning beauty routine a try and let me know what you think! What are your current morning beauty essentials? I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

morning routine

Here are the 5 Steps of My Morning Beauty Routine